Strategic Estate Partner – new ambulance hub facilities

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (the “Trust”) is about to embark on an ambitious project to enter into a long-term arrangement with a Strategic Estate Partner (“SEP”) to design, build and finance new ambulance hub facilities at a number of sites. The Trust intends to enter into development agreements for lease with the SEP in respect of the Trust’s site in Ipswich and a site to be identified by the SEP in Cambridge, under which the SEP would construct the required facilities before granting leases to the Trust on practical completion. At the same time, the Trust intends to enter into a strategic partnering agreement with the SEP pursuant to which the SEP would bring forward business cases, to develop new facilities in a number of other locations across the East. In each case the Trust anticipates that the SEP would obtain finance to acquire and develop the relevant sites on the basis of costs being rentalised under leases to the Trust over a 20-30 year period. The purpose of this notice is to announce a pre-market engagement exercise to consult with prospective bidders about this opportunity, discuss current thinking and ensure the Trust is in the best possible position to launch a formal procurement process later this year.